Dogs learn really well. Sometimes, when I’m working with your pups, it amazes me that one species can understand and communicate with another. I mean, I have problems communicating with other humans sometimes, so it amazes me that another species can understand me. And that, sometimes, I can understand them.
That got me wondering: Just what other species are dogs teaching in addition to us humans? And suddenly, I started noticing communication from my dog Gunnar to myriad creatures that he encounters.
Obviously, dogs can teach other dogs. But Gunnar has also taught the deer that come into our yard that he finds their presence an imposition (to be polite). The deer will happily munch on corn when I walk by, but if Gunnar is with me, they take off. Gunnar has told the fox kits that they can play with his toys, but they better not destroy them. I’m not sure how he communicated this, but I often see the kits playing with his toys - and they are very respectful.
But the species that I see that communicates with Gunnar (and vice versa) the most are our cats. He raised 3 of them: Chevy, Zeezle, and Bex. He’s taught them a great deal. He’s taught them not to use their claws on his tail, not to eat out of his bowl, how to lay down (circling 3 times), how to growl at the UPS truck (honestly, it scared the heck out of me when Chevy first did) and how to greet us at the door when we return. It amazes me that he’s taught them so much. The cats run whenever they hear a doorbell - on the t.v. Gunnar keeps them in line when they play too rough and one of them hisses. The cats herd us when they want something from us, and they know that the proper way to drink water is to get a lot of it in your mouth and then dribble it across the kitchen floor.
And, of course, the cats have taught Gunnar things, too. That he has to rescue the mice that they catch. That they like to rub on his harness, so he ends up going to daycare smelling like a cat. That sometimes the warmest place to be is under a blanket. That Temptations taste better if you have to chase them. It’s definitely not one-sided.
So, the next time you’re talking to your pup, take a minute to think about how amazing it is that the two of you can communicate at all. Your dog learns from multiple sources, and we humans are just one of those sources.